Which Go Pro?

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MikeAqua

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Topic # 193568 15-Mar-2016 13:54

My son is a keen competitive swimmer. He would like GoPro to take some underwater footage to help him improve his technique. A typical application would have the camera angled up at 45 - 90 deg from pool floor.

I'm keen to support him, but I don't want to spend a fortune.

4K etc isn't necessary, he needs enough image quality to clearly see stroke, turns etc in somewhat poor lighting.

I'm currently looking at the 'Session' for a couple of reasons: -

- It has integrated waterproofing (no housing to be misfitted).

- It's cheaper (~$350)

But really I'm John Snow on this. I would greatly appreciate some advice.

Mike

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Reply # 1513725 15-Mar-2016 14:05

I bought the LCD back around Xmas from PhotoGear off Constellation Drive. Can't recall exact price but it wasn't toooo far from your budget. They seem to be at $450 now. The beauty of the LCD is that you can check your viewpoint is correct. The option with the Session would be to sync it with your phone and use that as your "viewfinder". The LCD came with two mounts out of the box, one flat, the other curved. You will need to think about what your son is going to sink in the pool for the camera to mount to, as you won't want to use the adhesive mounts. There may be a suction cup option? Otherwise finding something heavy to mount it to, that will sit on the pool bottom and not get disturbed by the movement of water.

Talkiet

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Spark NZ

Reply # 1513738 15-Mar-2016 14:23

If you're not committed to the GoPro brand, have a look at something like the Eken H3...

http://www.aliexpress.com

Same specs, uses the same physical accessories, wayyy under half the price. Image quality 95% as good as the gopros.

Cheers - N

Stan

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Reply # 1513788 15-Mar-2016 15:25

I purchased a git2 from eBay and am impressed with it. Much cheaper than a gopro with reasonable quality, I can upload some samples if you like.

MikeAqua

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Reply # 1514312 16-Mar-2016 11:20

Good point about the LCD. With the session he could sync poolside with his iPod, but better not to have an iPod pool side.

Also LCD would allow immediate playback, which is more useful for adjusting technique etc.

The deployment I have figured out - I'll screw or cable tie an adjustable camera mount onto an old 2.75 kg dive weight ... too easy.

doublek69:

The beauty of the LCD is that you can check your viewpoint is correct. The option with the Session would be to sync it with your phone and use that as your "viewfinder".

...

You will need to think about what your son is going to sink in the pool for the camera to mount to, as you won't want to use the adhesive mounts.

Mike

Jaxson

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Reply # 1514335 16-Mar-2016 12:04

I have the Hero4 Silver and highly rate it. The touchscreen makes the interface very easy to make complex changes.

That said, if you can identify your required settings in advance, probably 1080p at say 48 fps for 'crisp' capture of moving objects without too much motion blur, then you can set and forget and don't need the screen.

Wifi is a nice to have, if the associated App is good, and assuming it works sufficiently under water, through concrete lined pools.

As above, if money is an object, then you can get similar quality image for much less, just without the nice UI the gopro touchscreen and wifi app give you. I only went with the gopro because I wanted the extra settings it offers, including the nightlapse mode that none of the cheaper models offer. If you're after standard action cam requirements, then any of the china cheapies will likely deliver suitable results.

shk292

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Reply # 1514377 16-Mar-2016 12:52

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Surely there is no way that WiFi is going to work between an underwater camera and a device poolside. Water is conductive; RF doesn't propagate through it - that's why submarines use sonar

Or have I misunderstood intentions for WiFi in this context?

kobiak

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Reply # 1514433 16-Mar-2016 13:35

I'd also recommend GoPro clone. SJCAM S4000+ for a 100 NZD can't go wrong. Really ideal for our surf/bodyboard swimming :)

helping others at evgenyk.nz

Jaxson

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Reply # 1514497 16-Mar-2016 14:14

shk292:

Surely there is no way that WiFi is going to work between an underwater camera and a device poolside. Water is conductive; RF doesn't propagate through it - that's why submarines use sonar

Or have I misunderstood intentions for WiFi in this context?

No you've got it, and I agree it's not likely to work particularly well.

For that reason, you can get away with basic controls on the device. Set to resolution options above, and sink to bottom of the pool. You don't need an expensive GoPro to achieve that.

$350 should get you at least two China units fairly well suited to the task?

Stroke analysis wise, it might be better to film side on at times also. And I assume slow motion could help also, hence the higher frame rate (needs more light to work well).

Don't forget the anti fog inserts to prevent moisture build up on the inside of the lens cover, if the pool water is cooler.

MattR

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Reply # 1514585 16-Mar-2016 16:18

I have the 4 Silver. There's no way the wifi will work underwater - 2.4GHz was chosen because it was a largely unused for comms because microwave ovens use it. Microwave ovens use it because 2.4GHz is really good at heating water, which is mostly what microwave ovens do.

I also have the dive wrist mount. My only complaint is the integrated LCD screen on the 4 silver can't be seen properly with the wrist mount (it has padding across the back), but the wrist mount includes a larger housing for an LCD back.

I don't get any fogging unless I open the housing while still wet (and then seal it back up again).

noroad

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Reply # 1514637 16-Mar-2016 17:58

I use the Hero 4 Session as a helmet camera, so far I'm very happy with it.

richms

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Reply # 1514651 16-Mar-2016 18:11

I wonder if you could stick a patch antenna to the outside of the gopro case on a long piece of coax up to near the ipod/phone to get the signal out of the water.

I know that the 2.4GHz for the limitless LEDs will not go 100mm into a pond to an underwater light, but if I hold the remote near the 12v supply cable it gets enough signal coupling thru that to work.

Richard rich.ms

MikeAqua

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Reply # 1515141 17-Mar-2016 17:59

WiFi - would pull the camera out of the pull to view videos.

My son lives with me ex in different town so I need something easy for him (11) to use.

Mike

dman

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Reply # 1560401 27-May-2016 02:52

Xiaomi Yi gives by far the best bang for buck! You can with a bit of tweaking get GoPro 3 Hero Black Edition quality footage easily.

I own 8 of these cameras myself! (as I use them professional for 360 VR videos for clients)

Get waterproof case for it and buy it here:

http://www.gearbest.com/action-cameras/pp_153557.html

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

Jaxson

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Reply # 1560446 27-May-2016 09:00

dman:

Xiaomi Yi gives by far the best bang for buck!

Seen the new Yitech Xiaoyi Yi ii 4k camera #dman ?

It's made in partnership from best I can gather with Xiaomi, but it's essentially Hero4 Black specs, with a touchscreen, for around $328 NZ with coupon GBXiaoyi2 on preorder at Gearbest now...

Linuxluver

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Reply # 1560447 27-May-2016 09:00

MikeAqua:

My son is a keen competitive swimmer. He would like GoPro to take some underwater footage to help him improve his technique. A typical application would have the camera angled up at 45 - 90 deg from pool floor.

I'm keen to support him, but I don't want to spend a fortune.

4K etc isn't necessary, he needs enough image quality to clearly see stroke, turns etc in somewhat poor lighting.

I'm currently looking at the 'Session' for a couple of reasons: -

- It has integrated waterproofing (no housing to be misfitted).

- It's cheaper (~$350)

But really I'm John Snow on this. I would greatly appreciate some advice.

GoPro lenses are very fish-eyed. Unless the camera were to be consistently within about 2 metres of your son at all times the result would probably be quite useless...."That tiny, wee swimmer way off in the distance....can barely see him.....oh...he's only 5-10 metres away."

You'd be better off to mount it on a selfie stick and have someone walk along the side of the pool with the camera in the water and your son swimming a a parallel line close by.

I bought 2 GoPro cameras a couple of years back. I hadn't properly understood how rapidly distance distorts and diminishes the subject. There is a good reason the best videos have the cameras mounted on, or extremely close to, the active person / thing. Much further away and you can't see the wood for the trees.

____________________________________________________
I'm on a high fibre diet.

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